Florida has been hit with 3 hurricanes this year alone, ranging from category 1-5.
The most recent hurricane to pass through was a Category 5 Hurricane, dubbed Milton, which touched down near Siesta Key on October 9.
Since then, the state’s residents, officials, and aid workers have been tasked with assessing damages and beginning the recovery process.
Here’s how Florida is doing now.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
The most recent storm hit Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota the hardest, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble.
Remarkably, “In St. Petersburg, [Hurricane] Milton toppled a crane working on a 46-story building and destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team,” said AP NEWS.
Among the damaged buildings are numerous houses, businesses, and infrastructure.
The hurricanes named Debby and Helene, which hit Florida in August and September respectively, also managed to contribute to the destruction.
Furthermore, Fox Weather said an estimated “822,000 acres of timberland were damaged or destroyed… during [Hurricane] Helene.”
However, Hurricane Debby, only being a Category 1 Hurricane, thankfully didn’t achieve nearly as much physical and financial damage in Florida as the other two 2024 Hurricanes did.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Guardian News reported that analysts at Accuweather estimate a “$225-$250bn loss from Helene and another $160-180bn from Hurricane Milton.”
It should be noted, the combined cost of the two storms was alarmingly close to half a trillion U.S. dollars.
And this total doesn’t even account for Debby’s impact, which happened to be “$28 billion” dollars in “total damage and economic loss,” The Readiness Lab reported.
Unfortunately, this type of damage is likely to continue in the upcoming years as well.
Business Insider News said these tropical “ events are the latest sign that hurricanes are becoming more frequent, more ferocious, and more costly.”
And while jobs regarding rebuilding efforts have increased in demand following the hurricane, generated income for the state’s tourism, trade, and transportation will undoubtedly be negatively hit.
In fact, Florida’s tourism sector, a significant contributor to the state’s economy, is expected to suffer losses in the billions.
CBS News observed that “temporary theme park and hotel closures as well as reduced tourism” will occur during and after Florida’s destructive hurricane season.
Furthermore, Hurricane Milton also managed to drive up national gas prices after damaging offshore oil rigs.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
According to Business Insider News “higher ocean surface temperatures fuel stronger hurricanes, and warmer air carries more rain — [which have] led to more rainfall, a greater risk of storm surges, and a higher chance of rapid intensification.”
Notably, AP News divulged that World Weather Attribution Researchers said “without climate change, a hurricane like Milton would make landfall as a weaker Category 2,” instead of the Category 3 storm that later progressed into a Category 5.
This proves that climate change not only has the potential to strengthen storms, but it also increases the frequency of an occurrence.
The Washington Post reported the average Atlantic Ocean Surface Temperature in 1982-2012 steadily stayed near 68 degrees Celsius.
In 2023 “waters around Florida… shocked” scientists when in early July they “climbed into the mid-90s,” The Washington Post also said.
Undoubtedly, rising ocean temperatures are alarming for multiple reasons, including their tendency to create storms.
In fact, Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences said one of “the basic ingredients for tropical cyclone formation” is a sea surface temperature of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, the storm’s impact on Florida’s ecosystem is also a pressing concern as the hurricane’s storm surge contaminated water sources, threatening marine life and human health.
Additionally, the rising ocean temperatures have the potential to “[damage] coral reefs” by “bleaching” them, observed The Washington Post.
BUILDING AND RECOVERY
While it was fortunate that the storm hit some of the less densely populated areas of the state, Florida Citizens are sadly not in the clear yet.
As a matter of fact, State Governor Ron DeSantis “warned people to not let down their guard”as there are still “ongoing safety threats including downed power lines and standing water that could hide dangerous objects,” said AP News.
Additionally, he cautioned people to make proper decisions in the face of dangerous hazards.
“We’re now in the period where you have fatalities that are preventable,” DeSantis said according to AP News.
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
NBC Miami News reported “A group of officers [gave] assistance to people” by “performing security checkpoints, helping with debris removal, and assisting with anything else that needs to get done.”
The convoy contained “officers from Miami-Dade, Miami Springs, Aventura, Opa-locka, North Miami Beach, North Miami, and the Florida International University Police Department.”
Furthermore, volunteer organizations, such as the American Red Cross, are providing food, water, and housing accommodations.
CONCLUSION
This Hurricane Season’s devastating impact on Florida serves as a stark reminder of the destructive power of natural disasters.
As the state embarks on its journey to recovery, it is essential that Floridians prioritize resilience, sustainability, and community support.